Fantasy Books

My four year old son is in love with this chapter series! A friend suggested it to us since he seemed ready for a more advanced reading material at bedtime. My husband reads him a chapter every night...sometimes more because they don't want to stop. It's become a great tradition for them, and something they both look forward to. We love that there are so many in the collection! Start with number 1 and just continue. :)

We loved Magic Tree House#12: Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne. Jack and Annie had a challenging riddle to solve in the Arctic. They needed to solve the riddle to become master librarians. There was a lot of action in the story. Jack and Annie had to work together to get back home safely. We learned many interesting facts about the Inuit people, polar bears, and the Arctic. Mary Pope Osborne used descriptive language that helped us visualize. We loved the story and think you will too!

MY 2nd GRADER read it to the FAMILY! we all LOVED it! IN SCHOOLS WHERE THERE R SO MANY STUPID AWEFUL BOOKS FORCED ON STUDENTS LIKE THE MINDLESS --- ( junie b jones series OR THAT horrible harry JUNK!!!) THE MAGIC TREE HOUSE SERIES REALLY COMES THRU WITH BOOKS TO HELP A YOUNG MIND GROW WITH USEFUL CARING & KNOWLEDGE!!! ANOTHER POLARBEAR BOOK MUST HAVE IS: (POLARBEARS AND THE ARCTIC! NON FICTION MAGIC TREE HOUSE ALSO)

You should read this book because it has good facts. Did you know that a 270 lbs female cub polar bear can go on thin ice without falling through? Is that cool or what? My favorite part is when Jack and Annie meet the cubs and play. It takes place in the Arctic. What do you think will happen to the two kids? Will they become frozen dinners to the bears or will they get save? Read the book to find out!

By Mr. Sondericker's 2nd Grade Class (Marilla Primary, Marilla, NY)

We loved Magic Tree House#12: Polar Bears Past Bedtime by Mary Pope Osborne. Jack and Annie had a challenging riddle to solve in the Arctic. They needed to solve the riddle to become master librarians. There was a lot of action in the story. Jack and Annie had to work together to get back home safely. We learned many interesting facts about the Inuit people, polar bears, and the Arctic. Mary Pope Osborne used descriptive language that helped us visualize. We loved the story and think you will too!

Though it was a bit hard to swallow in the format of a fairy tale, in the end I have dog-ear'd several pages and will refer to the life lessons it holds. I will also share this book with several friends and family members who are struggling with the curve balls life throws. This book is for anyone needing that wake-up call to say 'you can get through it' among other lessons... The Princess will learn with you.

This is an AWESOME BOOK for every woman to read!! Easy reading and lots of insights on why we do what we do and how to stop the cycle! It is a MUST read for any woman giong through a divorce or breakup, however, I think anyone could gather wisdom from this book!

This is one of those books that you swear was written by someone who is telling your story. I was very touched and learned a lot. Some elements in the story were a little sappy/cheesy, but I didn't mind at all. I am a professional songwriter and was so inspired by this book that I wrote a song that has now received great reviews and has been used by many different venues. Now that's inspiration!

I just love this book, and I read it before, but didn't buy it. I was going through a similiar issue, so I just went and bought the book, because this book is a must have for any princess who wants to grow up!

A fairytale depicting women's traditional role as the `pleasing everyone' daughter, wife, woman. Her life changes dramatically as she becomes more and more independent and self supportive. For you if you choose to support yourself or the woman in your life in becoming more whole and happy.

I loved this book! Hilda and Zelda have to tell Sabrina that she is a witch! (And she does not beleve them at first!) Then she starts doing magic when she does not really want to. Very funny. It's good.

No wonder they say that the first book is always the best- it's true!

The beginning. Its her 16th birthday Sabrina finds out that shes a witch. But the only thing shes learnt is how to turn something into a pineapple. So when Libby is nasty to her and gone just to far she becomes a pineapple. But with her aunts help she is reversed again. But its too late. Her reputation as a freak at the new school has been established. She goes to the other realm counsel to plead for time to be reversed so she can start the day again. DENIED. But Aunt Hilda, Drells (the head counsellor)old girlfriend goes to pay him a little visit. That sure sorted him out. Excellent first book.

Sabrina Spellman lives with her Aunt Hilda and Zelda, but on her 16th birthday, they tell her the secret of her life...she's a witch! Sabrina's spellbook has a magical picture of her father that can talk to her! But one problem, Sabrina can't control her powers! Will Sabrina ever learn to be the witch that she really is?

Meet Sabrina Spellman.Just your average teenager wanting to have fun in her new home in the care of the Spellman sisters,Hilda and Zelda. Sabrina's parents have just split up and Sabrina has moved in with her aunts on her birthday. Something strange is going on though.Why is she receiving big dusty old books titled "ye olde magic" and small cauldrons? Well guess what? Sabrina is a witch! Her aunts try to explain,but this is all too much for her.On her sixteenth birthday she finds out she is a witch and has to start out at a new school "Westbridge High". Trying to forget about her powers,Sabrina makes new friends and new enemies. To find out and capture the magic of the first of Sabrina's adventures and discoveries about becoming a witch,read this fantastic novel today.

Finally KA's books are getting interesting again!. I skipped some books after I started to get bored with the series. I got this one just to see if it was any good. (Ax is one of my favorite characters.) I was pleased with it and went on to get The Answer.

I would recommend this one to any one who has read The Ulitmate #50. You may have to back track some if you haven't.

I was impressed with this book but there was something missing from it. I usually love the "Ax" books but there was something wrong with it. Maybe it's because Applegate started to get more interested in her other series but the corny sense of humor that Ax has was gone. I was shocked with the way he reacted when he found out the Cassie let Tom walk off with the morphing cube. While we're on the subject, I didn't like that part of the series. What Cassie did was just plain dumb. You know, I can understand why she didn't let Jake kill Tom, but why didn't she get him herself? I may have lost some of you, but if you read THe Ultimate, you'll understand.

This is definately a must-read in the Animorph series, but that's just because of the plot.

In this book, humans are being rounded up and boarding subways at gunpoint. There is no doubt that the subways lead to the Yeerk pool, and the Animorphs are considering blowing up the Yeerk pool. Will they blow it up, or will they not? read the book to find out!

Even now, nearly one year since the dramatic end to this stunning
series, I can still remember this book. I haven't touched it since then, but the story, the action, the ending have all stuck in my mind. The most amazing thing about these books is that as they get older they get more mature. Less emphasis on stupid morality, more emphasis on kill or be killed. In this book, one of the last ones, the yeerks have stopped ...footing around and started mass infestation, via a possessed National Guard group, and a new subway system that leeds right to the Yeerk Pool. The Animorphs know they must finally destroy the pool. So, they break into a normal National Guard base, convince the troops about the invasion, and take several thousand-pound bombs with them. They then comandeer a subway train, load the bombs into it, and head for the pool. They slam into it, escape(after freeing most of the people), and the bombs detonate, destroying half of the city. After that, the Yeerk Mother Ship descends from the sky, and you know that the final battle has just begun. It is a slightly disturbing, upsetting book, but if you've ever wanted an excuse to read Animorphs, this is it!
In closing, I'd like to say that this series is one of the best of all time. Even today, one year from its end, the books are still on bookshelves. So, if you'd like a great sci-fi series, with humor, action, maturity, drama, and great characters, then I can recommend no better one. Animorphs has done to sci-fi books, what Harry Potter did to fantasy books: It took a dying subject and revitalized it. Animorphs 52, The Sacrifice is a plain example of this.

My son wrote the following mini-review:

In this installment, the National Guard teams up with the Animorphs to help the heroes defeat the Yeerks. They are successful in destroying another Yeerk pool, wiping out millions of the foul parasites. In The Sacrifice, Cassie finally admits to everybody that she is responsible for letting the Yeerks escape with the "blue box" (or "morphing cube" -- see The Ultimate), causing Ax to hate and distrust her.

With only two more installments remaining in the series, K.A. Applegate begins to set the stage for the death of one of the six key characters. Will it be Tobias, Rachel, Cassie, Jake, Marco, or Ax?

The cool thing about this book and other SM comics is an instant replay is included, which has:
Information about Bunny's family and her friends {both her scout friends and her friends like Molly that have no powers}.
The people from the Black Moon {Nemesis}
A summary of what has happened in previous comics that are in this season {which includes #4 to this one}.
In the first chapter:
Sailor Pluto stops time and kills herself.
Black {Wicked} Lady transforms back to Rini and then becomes Sailor Minimoon.
Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion wake up.
Sailor Moon and Sailor Minimoon destroy Death Phantom.
The sailor scouts meet their future self, including Sailor Moon.
Rini goes back to the 30th century. See if she comes back to the present 20th century.
Second chapter:
Raye and Darien get a premination.
Rini goes to an amusement park and meets Hotaru.

I really love it I like the beginning of it plus it starts the Sailor Moon S comic part.If you are really a moonie you should get this!

I love Sailor Moon!Well...To be hounest...I love Mitchiru...Please,don't get me wrong...I really love her!!!!!!

First of all I loved the cover of this book, not to mention the beautiful artwork inside! Naoko Takeuchi has done it again with book #7! I won't tell you much about the book (or it might spoil it) but I will tell you that this is the book where hotaru first appears-there's not much about her but hey....Anyway, I would recommend to buy book #6 first or you won't really know what's going on.
If you're interested in sailor moon, Nakayoshi magazine was were it all began. ......sailor moon #7 are very worth getting!!

This is another great volume. Usagi/Mamoru, Serena/Darien, Bunny/Darien are the best couple. My favorite version is the Japanese version. I will use both names. In this volume, Usagi, known as Bunny and Mamoru, known as Darien have a wonderful experiece. Bunny and Darien are lovers. After going to the future, Bunny becomes trapped. Darien comes to rescue her in space. Bunny and her boyfriend and true love, Darien, travel together. Bunny asks Darien if she should exist because the future would be altered by her. Darien tells Bunny that she has saved many lives. Darien tells Bunny that he lives to protect her and he will lend her his power. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon kiss. Bunny kisses Darien. As they kiss, she feels that they become one. She tells him that she's finally found herself. Darien holds Bunny close. After the battle, they send their future daughter back to the future. Bunny and Darien go to a bench together. Bunny becomes sad. Darien cheers her up and says that they have the whole future together. Bunny smiles, knowing he will always be beside her. Bunny and Darien kiss. As they kiss, their future daughter returns. Bunny wakes up the enxt day and is alte to meet Darien, but he forgives her. Bunny and Darien kiss and Darien senses something new. To find out what happens, read this wonderful volume.

The last series of Sailor moon is the best. It tells more about the background of each character. And for once all the Sailor Scouts are gone. You finally get to see how Sailor Moon fights by herself! The book has beatiful artwork. Only it has terrible binding. The Sailor Moon Manga books always kinda fall apart. So be very careful with them! Get this book! You'll enjoy it and read it again and again.

This is probley the closest you could get to the 5th season if you don't get it. Now I know you can get it on e-bay, but I don't want to get it used{eventually}.
First chapter:
It is revealed that Chibi Chibi is a sailor scout.
The starlights talk about what happened in the past.
Sailor Galaxia attacks Bunny and Chibi Chibi.
Second chapter:
Bunny and Chibi Chibi survive the attack.
Eternal Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi Chibi,Princess Kakyu, and the Sailor Starlights go to the Outer Senshi's planet in hopes of finding the outer senshi.
Third chapter:
The group travels to a river where the scouts memories are taken away.
Sailor Galaxia takes the salor starlights sailor crystals!!!
Rini's picture diary:
Hotaru and Rini goes to her friends store.
An evil ghost takes control of Hotaru.

this book is brilliant. Amazing ... no words could describe it. Well, first off, from the first book, The starlights find their princess and Mamoru d.... HAVE YOU READ THE FIRST BOOk!? i can't say if you ahve or havn't so.. i won't go on about that, anyways along the way, Usagi discovers Sailor Galexia.. and gets to meet her, i won't say anymore.. i advise this book to any Sailor Moon fans, you've seen the series.. trust me, this is totaly different

First off, glamcabbit, Manga or books are not DUBBED, they are TRANSLATED!
Ok. Now that that is straight, this manga was really good. Ther artwork is great. The story is good, but it could be better. It just isn't as good as it used to be. Even Naoko herself said that she was sorry she was so kept up with the anime that she didn't really try to make the StarS series interesting (I think)
Anyone who can't have the Sailor Moon StarS anime should get this manga. It's not SO different from the anime, accept the Villians are SOOO much smarter.
This manga starts out with Sailor Moon fighting Kitty and the Sailor Starlights finally finding Princess Kakyu. Later on in the manga, Sailor Moon is left without Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, or Uranus to help her. She then finds out the shocking truth. She is the target of Sailor Galaxia, the scout of destruction. Set upon rescuing her fellow Sailor Scout's Sailor Crystals, Eternal Sailor Moon goes to find Sailor Galaxia with Sailor Chibi Chibi (NOT SAILOR CHIBI CHIBI MOON! THAT'S ONLY IN THE ANIME!), Princess Kakyuu, and the Starlights. But Galaxia won't let Sailor Moon win that easily! Will Sailor Moon be able to get through all the obstacles in her path?
Unfortunately, this description might not be that good, considering I lost my StarS 2 manga in the Seattle Airport ! :'-(
Oh well. Hope I helped you!

PS Would actually be 4 1/2 stars, but I couldn't figure out how to do that! Anyone know?

The second book is so cool too. We find out who the strange lady is that the starlights call princess, and much more questions are answered like Who the starlights really are and what happened to the senshi's and so on but i can't tell you much because then i would ruin it!
There is one cool thing at the end of this book. There is a mini comic that Naoko made for a contest winner where Chibi-usa, Hotaru and Chibi-usa's friends Ruruna and Naruru go to this cool pawn shop and they buy stuff and... i won't say anymore

When I was a boy my mother and father were told I would never be able to learn how to read or write. The accidental discovery of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit may have been the moment which saved my life. After reading Tolkien I was seldom without a book. What a joy it was for me to discover, as an adult, two short stories I hadn't yet read by Tolkien. The book is aptly titled after the names of the two short stories, "Smith of Wootton Major" and "Farmer Giles of Ham." Both of the stories are delightful gems. Farmer Giles of Ham is my favorite of the two. Farmer Giles of Ham is a comedic tale about a clever farmer named Giles who out-wits both the king, and a dragon named Chrysophylax. Chrysophylax is that rarest of dragons, one who refuses to fight. Farmer Giles, having recently run a nearly blind giant off of his land, is roped into going after the dragon by the greedy king. The story also includes a talking dog. There are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep the reader turning the pages. Tolkien's descriptive prose sparkles with wit and charm. You'll be delighted with this little known short story by Tolkien. Smith of Wotton Major is an altogether different tale. The story is set in a village named Wootton Major. Smith is, in the beginning of the story, a little boy who receives a fay-star during the Twenty Four Feast. The star has been placed in a cake made for the children attending the feast by the king of the fairies. The king of the fairies, known only to the villagers as Prentice, has disguised himself as the head cook's apprentice. Smith unknowingly swallows the fay-star. The next morning Smith coughs the star up. For the rest of Smith's life the fay-star brings him all manner of wonderment and joy. As all things must come to an end, a time comes when the star must be passed on to another child. Smith's decision as to whether he should give up the star freely, along with whom the star will go to next, makes Smith of Wootton Major a wonderful parable about the nature of fantasy and what it means to the man who is lucky enough to receive it. Tolkien was after all a bit of a Prentice himself. Smith of Wootton Major is a beautifully rendered tale...

Even though "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" are what J.R.R. Tolkien was best known for writing, they were by no means his only works of fantasy. Two relatively little-known books he wrote are the novellas "Farmer Giles of Ham" and "Smith of Wootton Major," cute little fantasy stories now in one book.

"Farmer Giles of Ham" (or, in the non-vulgar tongue, Agidius de Hammo) is a pleasant and unheroic farmer who unexpectedly becomes a legend when he shoots a giant with his blunderbuss (Tolkien provided the explanation for what a blunderbuss was). And when the rather non-threatening dragon Chrysophylax arrives and starts eating people and livestock, it's up to Farmer Giles to vanquish him.

"Smith of Wootton Major" is more serious and ethereal than "Giles." In the town of Wootton Major, a cake is baked with a bunch of little charms inside -- including a little faery star, which a boy swallows, accidently exhales, and then slaps onto his forehead. It gives him the ability to wander into the Faery Realm, where he is known as Starbrow, and where he learns that the Faery King is missing.

These two stories are very different. "Farmer Giles" is a more openly comedic tale, with young dragons saying that knights are just myths, language in-jokes (Tolkien archly telling us what various Latin names meant in "vulgar" translation), Chrysophylax the rather innoffensive dragon, the excitable dog Garm, and the likable Farmer Giles himself. (He's a bit like Tolkien's Barliman Butterbur, a likeable but somewhat thick "ordinary" person) This might be the first real comic fantasy story ever. "Smith," on the other hand, has a slightly melancholy tone to it, with its haunting prose and the theme of the little star, which bestows a beautiful voice and light to anyone who has it. The idea of it being passed to a child as the older grows up is exquisite.

Fans of Tolkien's work will definitely want to get "Smith of Wootton Major" and "Farmer Giles of Ham." Though they're not as textured or complex as "Lord of the Rings," these stories are sweet, funny, and extremely well-written.

I have long been familiar with J.R.R. Tolkein's famous books - The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings - but, this cute little book shows that just about everything that he put his hand to he did beautifully! It contains two of Prof. Tolkein's novellas - Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham. The stories are sure to charm anyone who believes in beauty and wonder...and maybe hopes just a little that that land of Faery is a real place after all!

Smith of Wootton Major tells the story of a little town that has a wonderful tradition where a special cake is baked every twenty four years, and eaten by twenty four good children. But, when a magical Faery star is slipped into this year's cake, it is eaten by the local smith's son. And so the life of the younger smith is changed beyond anyone's imagination - he is marked by beauty of face and voice, and (unbeknownst to anyone) he can even visit the land of Faery whenever he likes. It is a life of magic and giving.

Farmer Giles of Ham tells the story of a farmer by the name of Aegidius Ahenobarbus Julius Agricola de Hammo - or in the vulgar form, Farmer Giles of Ham. A no-nonsense man was Farmer Giles, and when someone steps onto his property, he is there to meet him with his blunderbuss. However, when the next person to set foot on his property is a giant, Farmer Giles soon finds himself dealing with kings and knights and legendary swords and, worst of all, dragons!

This edition is for those who truly love Fairy Tale. It is amazing to witness first hand Tolkien's breathtaking ability to weave the tales of Faerie. Any reader who enjoyed The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, or The Silmarillion will be greatly pleased.

J. R. R. Tolkien, known almost exclusively for the Middle-Earth tales, has a more humorous side. In his short story, "Farmer Giles of Ham", Tolkien displays a superb sense of irony, and a gentle wit. A satirical mock epic of almost Alexander Pope or Voltaire proportions, "Farmer Giles of Ham" is a lesser known, but intriguing part of Tolkien's body of work.

Farmer Giles (of the village known as Ham in the "vulgar tongue") lives a quiet life with his wife and dog, who possesses the power of speech. Alas! To unsettle his provençial habits, a giant stumbles upon the village of Ham, and it is Giles who reluctantly takes up his blunderbus to clumsily sting the giant in the eye. The irony is, when Giles (who came out of the trial almost as badly as the giant himself) is celebrated as a hero and reknowned in the village and beyond, the giant himself thinks that the hit of the primative gun was nought but the sting of a rather large insect.

And so, Giles, who was the last person in the land to become a hero (very much like other Tolkien heros the likes of Bilbo and Frodo Baggins) must take out a dangerous (but delightfully polite) dragon whose fire and claws have ravaged the country for some time. This he accomplishes in a suit of poorly made chainmail, and an ancient helmet.

As a climax, the farmer-turned-warrior must make battle with the high king of the land so that he may claim the dragon's hoard as his own, instead of trying to slake the king's thirst for wealth. With the help of this same dragon, Giles defeats the avaricious monarch and becomes a king in his own right.

Tolkien's knowledge of Medæval culture and lore make this story an enchanting and amusing tale of the best and worst of humankind. He spares no one in his satire, even condemning the chivalrous knights of the king. With a smile and a pen that stings, Tokien creates here a fantasy story of the deliciously unexpected. Charming and intelligent, "Farmer Giles of Ham" has a light sense of wit and humor that one rarely finds in modern literature.

I am not a science fiction reader and didn't know what to expect from this book, but after reading it, I will be counting the days for James Stevens next novel.It had so many things that are happening in our moral decaying world ,that it gave me an earie feeling, like a premonition, of something not too far away if we don't open our eyes on time.Yet it gives you hope, because it teach you that the answer to your doubts and fears are inside you. Only you can save yourself.I enjoyed every word in it and could not stop reading until the last page.

What do you like in book? If you are like me, it is never just one quality that you look for, it is a combination of several qualities which vary in amount depending on your mood.

I didn't know what to expect when I read this book. And honestly were I not a member of the same writer's workshop as James Stevens-Arce, I would not have bought this book. It is just not my thing. Don't get me wrong. A lot of people in the workshop really loved this book for the story, but as I said, satire is really not my thing. To me it was just a nice relaxing evening on the couch-I don't get very many of those-so this was well worth the price to me

The thing that most impressed me about this book is the speed with which you can read it. It just draws you in and really does a better job at it than just about any book I have ever read. It was amazing, I read this book in just about two hours and forty-five minutes. This makes the book especially relaxing to read I think.

So is the book good? I think you will need to decide that for yourself. However, one thing I will say is that James Stevens-Arce is without a doubt the hardest working author I know. He always takes the time to go that little extra mile for the fans..

A novel that uses first person, present tense is not easy to find, probably because there are not many convincing reasons to use it. In Soulsaver, James Stevens-Arce does it well.

This book is an interesting and fast-paced satire. The protagonist, Juan Bautista Lorca, is a callow youth blinded by the society in which he lives. That Stevens-Arce chooses to tell his story from this little twerp's viewpoint is daring for the reader doesn't take immediately to him. Stevens-Arce carefully mitigates that problem in several ways.

First, he doesn't get inside his head much until the character begins to change, and to grow. We can never be certain but I believe this was a conscious decision because poor Juan doesn't have a deep thought stored anywhere in there, anyway. It is a perfect approach to this kind of character building.

One of the difficulties of using this method is that the reader gets less insight into the character than we have become accustomed to. Any we do get comes from the dialogue and/or what is happening around Juan. There is an advantage here, as well. The action moves forward very quickly and we find ourselves immersed in the time (The Year of Our Lord 2099) and the place (San Juan, the capitol city of our 52nd state). And, surprising, this is enough. The author has carefully balanced what the reader is likely to miss with what she gets.

As Juan develops and finds his own depth, we find that Steven-Arce is a writer with a first-class instinct for words as well. For those of us who long to see, hear, and feel when we read, this novel is not a disappointment. We must wait, but we get wonderful similes like, "...the sun...looks like a communion wafer pasted against the sky," and "...the Swiss cheese of pigeon holes cut into the ancient wall..." Stevens-Arce has crafted a book where there is only straightforward, uncluttered writing until the reader is hooked. Only then do we find passages that are pure poetry. By that time we find ourselves literally gobbling it up.

Stevens-Arce has one more trick to keep the reader hanging in there while this shallow youth ogles breasts, bounces to the music blasting into his headphones and relishes his own benign happiness with himself and the god-awful world he doesn't see around himself. He uses present tense. I hate present tense. Yet I hardly noticed. It propels the novel forward when it needs momentum. After it has done its job the reader becomes so used to it, it is no longer a factor.

If I were still teaching English, this book would become one of my texts. It's not often that one finds first person, present tense put to such carefully crafted use. It's also not often that one finds a book that lauds the often-maligned ability of thinking for oneself. Next to Holden Caulfield, Juan Bautista Lorca may be the best literary example for youth in recent times.

A gripping, fast-paced, amusing look at a future that was both terrifying and hopeful. Crisp, sure writing swept me into the story, willy-nilly. Well worth the ride!

Religious fanatics control this truly dystopian society of 2099. Puerto Rico is a microcosm of events that happen across the USA for it is the 52nd state. Faith and religious beliefs are examined, challenged, and altered in this delightful, somewhat shocking, all too plausible novel.

Juan Bautista Lorca, a rookie technician, and his partner Fabiola drive a FreezVan for the Suicide Prevention Corps of America (SPCA -- yes, a glimmer of the satire woven throughout the book). They race to the scene of a suicide, pack ice around the body, then take it Saint Francis of Assisi Resurrection Center in time for repair and revival. Returning to life after the harrowing experience of death, deep freeze, and resuscitation generally prevents the individual from trying to commit this heinous crime again. Only those who truly do not want to live in an over populated, under fed, under educated, and overly controlled society try a second suicide -- and they make sure the body can't be made to live again.

This book has won many awards: Best First Novel of 2000--Rocky Mountain News; Best of the Year 2000 list--San Francisco Chronicle; Best First Novels of 2000 Recommended Reading List--Locus magazine.

This is the story that I could easily see Kevin Smith (Silent Bob) turning into another great hit movie. Five stars.

Victoria Tarrani

When my brothers and I were little, this book was one of our absolute favorites! In fact, I still have it, although now it is beaten and taped together. The illustrations are cute and colorful (I love the dragon eating pancakes and then the bread from the bread truck!) and the story is imaginative. Best of all there is plenty of opportunity for children to interact with the reader. For example, my mom or dad would read to us and we'd chant "There's no such thing as a dragon!" at all of the appropriate places! Kids will identify with Billy who has a very active imagination, and they will wish that they too had a dragon! I'm so glad it is still available so I can share it with my daughter!

Though this book has been around a while, I only recently discovered it at a book store. I got it for my child's school library (endorsed by librarian). My 6 1/2 yr old 1st grade daughter liked it. This age group still adores fantasy, but is beginning to be able to separate truth from fiction. Children delight in the boy in this story being right about the dragon being real. They can relate to parents not taking things they say seriously. It is fun to imagine this scenario really happening, but then admit it probably could not!

Hands down, my favorite book as a child. It was out of print for a while and I had to scour auction sites for a copy. It was well worth the hunt. I actually read it to my 4th/5th grade children in my classroom and they love it as much as I do. The fact that it is being reprinted for a whole new generation makes me very happy.

This is a book I had when I was a child. Got it for my neice for her new baby. It's a great kids book!

Jordan Petersen reads this book to his audience while explaining what the most important story ever told is all about, and why we find it in a child's book, or dreams.

I have just seen the book read on TV, but it certainly has charming pictures and by Petersen's account a primal message.
I'm getting a copy for my kids.

Brilliant conclusion to the Troy series, as a fan of David Gemmell's work this lived up to my high expectations. Well worth the purchase.

I read this book with sadness knowing that within it's covers was the very last story I will ever read from this wonderful author. Stella you did a fine job finishing the book and I am sure David would be proud. I loved the series, I loved the book. I shall miss Mr Gemmell, I have read every one of his books, some I have read multiple times, and he is one of the greatest storytellers in my humble opinion.

This is a gripping account of the siege of Troy. It has most of the major characters but does not follow Homer's epics. There are also historical inaccuracies (which do not detract). It was pleasing to see some of the more recent excavation finds (eg a lower city) at the Troy excavation site in the story as well as an appearance by the Hittites (a bronze age superpower). The story is so thrilling and realistic that it makes the reader actually "live it".

A parallel plane of existence; one amongst maybe thousands other planes:
the story of Troy unfolds. some characters end up following the same historical line we know about in Homer's Iliad. other characters, surprise us with the drastically different choices they make and the paths they choose.
by the choices those people make, the story of Troy and its progress meanders through a myriad of new possibilities and probabilities, with surprises at the ready.
in the midst of it all, our beloved storyteller decides to throw in another chain of events happening simultaneously with the Trojan saga: the Exodus.
slowly, the dormant destinies of some characters begin to glow faintly, then as the story progresses, the glow becomes a blazing sun. Helikaon and Gershom: Aeneas and Moses. the first would go on to be the ancestor of the Roman people (some british kings would also trace their ancestry to him), and the second would lead the jewish people out of egypt and into Canaan. both succeed many times in obliterating the actual story and gaining the reader's unwavering attention (and hours of sleep) with their actions. such is their power.
In the Iliad, we are pawns upon the chessboard of the gods, subjects to not so godly whims and decisions.
In Gemmell's story, the gods are just hollow names, entities who are endlessly evoked, revered, and called for, but ever silent. the divine is stripped away and the men and women in the story take their fate in both hands, in a grim stand against the inexorable unknown.
guided by faith, aspirations, ambition, or sheer will, a handful of humans would eventually achieve godlike states, their names and memories outliving the gods they might have worshipped. others would dive down into the labirynth of their fears and weaknesses and be forgotten.
here, Hektor, Achilles, Andromaque, Odysseus and Aeneas are all gods. how each hero ends up will surprise and uplift you. there's a majesty and power in such humans that's quasi extinct today. such power can be found again, if we choose to really know and acknowledge ourselves for what we are and what we can and cannot achieve. but that requires a lot of will, and indeed 'the age of heroes has passed'.
Dipping in and out of magic and reality, Gemmell is IMO, The ultimate weaver of fantasy storytelling. his stories and retellings contain all the ingredients in perfectly balanced doses, and introduced at the perfectly right time. can you still be wondering about the result?
unchangeably, every tale will linger in the mind and heart. the wondrous characters, flawed as they are, will always be a delicate fragrance floating in the corridors of the soul.

The last book of the Troy series. The Gemmells vividly and successfully recreate the loyalties and betrayals, the loves and hates, the endurance, the ambition, the cruelty and the courage of men and women of the Troy myth. A very interesting new version of the Trojan wars, an excellent read!